Ivory Hearts
by MindoftheSongbird
Summary: Who was this guy? He seemed far too...polite.  How did he manage to convince her like that..? He was a strange mystery indeed.  Alternate Universe fic, taking place as if the l'cie events never took place. Hope/Lightning, rating may change.
1. Chapter 1

Hello again! This is an AU fic, if you hadn't noted it in the summary. It's more of...'if none of the l'cie stuff happened.' Main pairing, Hope/Lightning. Secondary pairing, Snow/Serah.

The rating might change, but I'm not sure yet.

**Disclaimer** - I do not own FFXIII, any of the characters, or any of the Final Fantasy franchise. Except for, y'know...merch. Enjoy!

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><p>…<em>This was ridiculous. "Worst birthday <em>ever_." Lightning sighed, turning away from her sister and now future brother-in-law. _

"_Come on, sis! Don't get mad at her." Snow said with an annoyed twang to his voice._

"_I'm _not_ your sister, and I'll get mad at whoever I damn well want." She slammed her hand down on the polished wood of the dining room table, shaking the glasses and serving dishes that resided on it. "You _really_ think I wanted to hear that my sister's engaged to some moron on my 21__st__ birthday? You really _are_ a moron."_

_Snow stepped past Serah with a determined look in his eyes. "You're not giving us a chance, Light-"_

"_I _won't_ allow it." Her voice was firm, and held a specific coldness to it. _

"_That's not fair, Lightning!"_

"_Get out of my house." The look in Lightning's eyes was so sharp, so piercing that it almost made Snow want to shy back as if in pain. _

_Snow scoffed; Lightning wasn't going to win this war. "…fine. Come on, Serah. Let's go tell NORA. At least _they'll_ be happy for us."_

_Once they were out of the house, Lightning slammed her fist down on the table, almost smashing a beautifully wrapped box. …right. Her gift. She tore the ribbons off of the box, and slowly lifted the lid. "…how practical." She lifted the shining survival knife from its delicate place and inspected it. It was nice, she had to admit. But really, who in their right minds would tell someone something like that on their birthday? She flicked open the knife, and stared at her reflection in the blade. "…goddamnit!" She hurled the knife across the dining room until it hit the wall, leaving a nasty gash in the wallpaper as it slid to a halt in the wall. _

_-6 months later_

"Claire, I need you to try this on." Serah held a beautiful dark blue dress out to Lightning, demanding that she try it on. "I've narrowed it down between this one, that black one, and the dark green one. Although, I like the black and blue ones better than the dark green one. Either of those two will match my dress a lot better, so…okay! It's between the black one and this blue one!"

Lightning glared at the dress, then shot that same glare to the store personnel working the dressing rooms that day. He was a poor soul indeed… She snatched the dress from her sister, and angrily stalked over to an empty room. _Why isn't this moron doing his job?_ And just like that, he dashed over to the room, and unlocked it. He'd already received one black eye today from this woman, and he'd really prefer not to gain another.

She slammed the door to the dressing room, kicking it to make sure it was securely closed. …Or in pure frustration, rather. She had to admit that the dress _was_ beautiful, though. Once the dress was successfully zipped up, she stepped out of the dressing room with the same scowl on her face.

"That's beautiful on you, Claire! It'd look better if you weren't scowling, though…" After thinking for a moment or two, Serah smiled and clapped her hands together. "Alright! We'll go with the blue dresses for the bridesmaids! And…Claire, since you're the maid-of-honor, you'll have a different bouquet than Fang, Vanille, and Lebreau."

Lightning simply shrugged. She didn't particularly care who else was a bridesmaid and what they were wearing. Heck, the only one she actually _knew_ was Lebreau. One that note, she hardly knew less than half the people on the guest list. She didn't care, either. She'd given up on the battle against the engaged couple long ago; she knew she wasn't going to keep them apart no matter how hard she tried. "Are we done here?"

After a confirming nod from Serah, Lightning retreated back to the dressing room. She wanted to hurry up and get the _hell_ out of there. …not that she had anywhere to go, of course. She figured she would retreat to her favorite café, and read the newest book from her favorite author. She'd found the café only two days after her birthday six months prior. Apparently it had been across the street from her workplace for three years, but she never seemed to notice it. It was a dull job, to say the least. She had almost immediately found work in a pharmaceutical distributing office after Serah had practically _begged _her to retire from the Guardian Corps. She had gone from a promotion she'd worked _so_ hard to get to being a _secretary_. She hated every _day_ of it. She wasn't too good at it, either. Almost every client who would call wishing to speak with her boss became instantly terrified by the voice on the other end. She was honestly surprised that she hadn't been fired yet.

Once ready to brave the harsh winter weather that awaited her, she swiftly left the dressmakers' shop and headed to the comfort of the café.

-_4 months later _

Lightning growled at whatever was shaking her awake, hoping that her warning would scare the offender away. After a few moments of silence, she snuggled further into the blankets in a sleepy victory. This, however, did not last long. The shaking returned full-force, along with her blankets being ripped off of her. She (very angrily) raised a fist at the opposing force, and swung blindly at whoever it was that thought this was a _good_ idea. When she hit nothing but air, she cracked her eyes open, and glared at the offender, who appeared to be afraid (as he should), and…embarrassed. Why should this idiot be embarrassed?

…The realization seemed to hit her like a ton of bricks. The weather had grown surprisingly hot in Bodhum, despite the usual cool springs that the locale usually experienced. And due to the lack of any heat relief mechanisms in her temporary room, she chose to wear…less than she usually wore at night. She wore a tight, formfitting ivory nightgown that barely even reached her thighs. The straps were hardly visible, while the bodice lacked much coverage at all. Normally, to come across a woman of such beauty in such little clothing first thing in the morning would be a blessing; however, this was neither the beautiful woman of his dreams, nor was it the best day to find such a thing.

Regardless of how embarrassed she might have felt, she stood from her bed with a purpose, and left Snow a perfectly fist-shaped bruise on his left cheek. He would just have to deal with a bruised face in all of his wedding photos.

The wedding was truly _stunning_. It was an outdoor spring wedding set in the center of beautifully flowering almond and apple trees in a well-known park in Bodhum. The reception was beautiful as well, if not somewhat classy. It was set in a grand ballroom, with tables surrounding the dance floor. The first dances were done and over with, as now was the time for the newly married couple to mingle amongst friends.

Lightning sighed as she twirled the half-empty glass of dark red liquid in countless circles by the glass's stem. She hardly knew anyone that was here, which caused her to feel a little…socially awkward, if nothing else. The people she did know were either out dancing on the floor, or catching up with old friends. What did Serah expect her to do? Did she _seriously_ think that Lightning would willingly party among strangers? She sighed once more, and downed the rest of the dark alcoholic beverage. This was frustrating…

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted someone take a seat next to her. She only glanced at him briefly, casting his presence aside when she failed to recognize him.

"You must be Lightning, right? Serah's sister?" The man frowned when he received no answer. "…alright. Well, I guess she was right when she said you weren't very social…" To this, he received a glare. "No need to get angry..I'm Hope Estheim."

"…hmph."

"I run the book club your sister goes to every couple of weeks. She said you really like to read… Why don't you join us sometime?"

"I don't like being recruited, thanks." Apparently this…Hope guy didn't seem to be affected be her outward coldness…

"Oh, no, that's not what I meant at all." He raised a hand in defense, thinking that it would help. "I just mentioned it because Serah always seems to be taking books back for you to read…" He placed a card on the empty space of the table in front of her, containing the place and time that they met. "Anyway…I assume you were the one that gave Snow that poorly concealed bruise? I don't blame you… He's kind of annoying sometimes…"

"…_some_times?" At last, there was someone who shared her disinterest! "The first time I met him I put him in the hospital for a few days.."

This…scared Hope a little. "Yeah? How come?"

"Serah introduced me to him as her 'boyfriend.' Ever since then, I've raised his medical bills more than the common cancer patients'."

"…wow. Seems a little harsh. But I'm sure I'd do the same if I had a younger sister… You, uh…"

"_What?_" She hadn't intended for her voice to come out so harsh; she supposed it was just instinct.

"You, uh…you look beautiful tonight… Stunning, even.. Serah's showed me a picture or two of you before, but I never thought you'd be this gorgeous… The pictures certainly don't do you justice…" A light twinge of pink rose to his cheeks as he spoke. He considered himself brave for complimenting such a temperamental woman, based on what he'd heard from Serah and Snow.

It took a few minutes for the words Hope spoke to set in. When they did, she raised her fist, ready to attack. A warm red color had risen from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears as she swung. However, she found her fist being halted by a strong, yet careful hand. Had he…_stopped _her? Her confused eyes stared at his humored expression. Why was he…_laughing?_

"Haha…Serah warned me about that, too…at first I didn't believe her, but I guess she was right." He gave her a smile, refusing to let go of her hand. "I didn't upset you, did I..?"

Any anger that she might have contained was drained away from her almost instantly. Why did this guy…what was _up_ with him? It was like he could read her every move or something. And…he still held onto her hand. Why did he do that? She turned her head away from him, immediately finding her empty wine glass very interesting. "No…you didn't.."

Hope gently uncurled her hand, carefully massaging her hand as he did so. This seemed to relax her a bit… "Let's try this again." He brought her hand up to his mouth, and placed a delicate kiss on the top of her hand. "I'm Hope Estheim. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Farron."

He was so…sweet. She didn't quite know how to react. Her normal reactions just _wouldn't_ kick in. It was like her normal reflexes ceased to exist. All she could seem to do was stare down at him in confusion. She wanted to say something. _Anything _would do, but the words failed to come to her. When she was finally able to force some words out, it was certainly not what she was expecting. "…It's…nice to meet you too, Hope Estheim."

He could tell her own words shocked her. He delicately placed her hand in her lap to join its match. "Please, call me Hope." He stood from his place at the table, and gave her a disappointed smile. "As unfortunate as it is, I'm afraid I have to leave early. I've got lots of work to finish before tomorrow… Well…it was a pleasure meeting you, Lightning. I hope to see you next time the book club meets up."

She couldn't figure out just _what_ had gotten into her, or why she reached out to him when she did. "Wait!"

Hope paused mid-step, feeling her tug on the sleeve of his jacket. "Yes?"

Lightning couldn't _think_ in that one moment. His eyes…they were… "Beautiful…"

"Hm..?"

She immediately released the hem of his sleeve, and slapped a hand over her deeply reddening face. "N-nothing! It..it was nice meeting you too, Hope.."

She couldn't understand it. Why did that smile make her feel so…open? She felt like he could see right through her, right down to her very core. She wasn't sure if she liked it or not…but...that smile… She couldn't get it out of her mind as she watched him depart, wishing the newlyweds well before he left. Lightning almost felt…lonely now. Her gaze drifted back to the table after he finally left, and spotted the card he left for her. It was nothing fancy, just an index card with the time and place.

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><p>Not sure if you liked reading it, but I had fun writing it! The next chapter will come soon, I promise! Comments are welcome, flamming is not! ^_^<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! Here with the second chapter! I've been working on it since I put up the first chapter of the story, but you know, life happens. Anyway, I'll go ahead and let you read on!

**Disclaimer** - I do not own any part of the Final Fantasy franchise, as much as I wish I did.

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><p>…<em>What the hell am I doing here? <em>She couldn't figure it out. She had gone to the specified building on the specified date, and was sitting in one of the designated chairs that she had pulled into a corner of the room. So far, she was the only one there. _…This is stupid. I should leave.._ She stood up from the black folding chair, and pulled it back over to the others. _I'd better get out of here before—_

She whipped her head around to the front door of the building, and spotted silver hair and beautiful green eyes. Green eyes that lit up like bright candles the moment they spotted her. "Lightning!" He dashed over to her like an excited puppy, and she couldn't quite stop the small smile that snuck its way through her features. "You actually came! I figured you'd wait until Serah and Snow got back from their honeymoon…"

"Yeah, well…" Lightning let out a heavy sigh. She didn't have time for this… She should be packing and looking for a place to _live. _"How long does this thing last? I've..kind of got a full schedule on my hands.."

"Oh. Well…we don't really have a predetermined ending time… We just kinda go until everyone has to go home. You have somewhere to be after this? I figured you took the bus, so I could take you after we're done.." He tried not to sound too hopeful, but the air of uncertainty about her seemed to dull his hopes.

"While that's rather kind of you, I doubt you'd _really_ want to cart me around the inner city of Bodhum. I'm fine with walking, really."

"It's gonna storm pretty bad this evening, you know…and maybe this way I could treat you to dinner while we were out.." Hope gave her a sly smile, and slid behind her before she had time to wipe that smile right off of his face. He placed his hands on her shoulders, and smoothly slid her black jacket off of her delicate form. "Let me get this for you…"

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched him hang up her jacket along with his. "Stop being so…so…"

"Polite?"

"Yeah. I could have done that myself." She wasn't sure whether she enjoyed his kindness, or just found it…annoying. "..how many people are generally here at this thing?"

"It's a small crowd, don't worry. I know you're not the most social person ever, so it should be fairly comfortable for you." He took a seat in the circle of chairs, and offered a book to Lightning. "That's the book we're discussing tonight. Or, gonna _try_ to discuss. It'll be a bit difficult getting the conversation flowing in the right direction without Serah here… But then again, she can be quite the gossip. I'm sure you can keep it up for tonight, right?" Hope gave her a playful wink. "Serah said you really liked that book there, right?"

"…yeah. Hope, am I a…how should I put this? Am I a usual topic of conversation here?" She was a little afraid of his answer. If Serah talked about her like she talked about _any_thing, than Lightning was sure to be a spectacle to everyone here.

"You'll have a few curious people, but most everyone in the club saw you at the wedding."

"…is that so?" She 'hmm'd in acknowledgement to the people who filed into the building. She recognized a few of them, two of them specifically being post-bridesmaids. One of them was…interesting, with her orange pigtails bouncing about in every direction. She seemed to bounce right over to Hope with a big smile plastered on her face. Something about this girl irked Lightning, though she couldn't put a finger on it. The tall, dark haired woman that followed her in didn't seem to actually be a part of the group. What was her name? Fang? That sounded like a name for a pet…

Lightning was snapped out of her thought process by the same tall, dark haired girl who had clapped a hand on her shoulder, and spoke with a thick, unrecognizable accent. "Oi, lookie 'ere, Vanille! Serah's sister finally showed up 'ere! Too bad she's on her honeymoon, yeah?"

"…" Light wasn't sure whether she liked this woman coming in such close proximity to her… "Yeah." She wished she could have shaken off this…Fang's presence, but since her bubbly friend chose to sit so close to Hope, she really didn't have a choice in the matter. She'd just have to deal with it, she supposed.  
>_<p>

Minutes turned into hours at the club's regular session, and hours eventually faded away to the slow, steady beats of the bass that came from the old-style jukebox in the corner of the sparsely populated bar that they now vacated. All but two of the group had left at the club quite a few hours earlier, which left the same two to wonder about Bodhum by themselves.

"…so, by the time the credits started rolling, we had the entire theatre cracking up!" Hope laughed as he recalled his story, and set his drink down on the table with a light 'thud.' He was pleased that Lightning had agreed to let him escort her to…wherever she wanted to go in Bodhum. And after visiting all of these stores and apartment buildings, he _still_ didn't know what the main point of her journey tonight was. She'd picked up several job and apartment applications on their course, but…but she already _had _a job, _and_ a house. He'd been pondering it all evening, and he still couldn't even get a vague idea as to what she was up to. But he was gonna find out. "Hey Light?"

She set her now empty glass down on the surprisingly smooth wooden table, and gave Hope a slightly curious look. "Yeah?"

"You picked up a lot of applications for jobs and apartments tonight, I've noticed. How come? You seem to have a steady flow of income and, from what I hear, a pretty nice house. What gives?" What gives, indeed? He'd been trying to figure this out all night.

"..oh. Well…for the job, that's pretty self-explanatory. I _hate_ my current job. I'm not exactly best cut out for it, anyway. It…doesn't quite pay as much as I'll need for this." She figured she should probably tell _some_one of her upcoming plan. "The deal with the house? …yeah, you've gotta keep your mouth shut for this one. I'm…it's for their wedding present, okay?" She let out a heavy breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. "They need their privacy now, and well…that house is a little too big for one person to have all to themselves."

Lightning sighed at the reality of the situation. She had little time left to find an apartment, or a different job. Her current paychecks certainly weren't getting her more than food lately…

"So why don't you just go ahead and get an apartment? I don't see what the new job has to do with anything.."

"Hope, are you aware of just how much weddings cost? Serah and Snow didn't exactly have much to put toward it. Snow's job doesn't even _pay_…and you certainly can't pay for a wedding on a part-time minimum wage job." Serah had absolutely _insisted_ that she didn't need the wedding of her dreams. No, Lightning Farron would _not_ allow her sister to get married in some courthouse, or even _elope_ or something like that. It sure was a damned good thing the house had been paid off for years. "Right now, I don't have anywhere _close_ to enough to put anything down on a lease, especially around here."

"…ah. I see. Well…I could lend you some mo—"

"No. I do _not_ borrow money. Hell, I don't even take loans out from banks or shit."

"…okay, then, it can be a gift. That way you won't have to pay me back or anything."

"Hope, I'm not just gonna let you hand over a shit-ton of money to me like it's nothing at all. And don't try that 'charity' crap. I don't accept pity gifts."

"Jeez, Serah was right; you _are_ stubborn." What was she going to do if she didn't find anything before..when? "Light, when are you planning on moving out, anyway?"

"As soon as they get back from their honeymoon. Actually, I'd like to be out before they get back so they don't have to worry about helping me move."

"…so…what, a week? A little more than that?"

"Yup. I've got the packing done, so all I really need to do is find a place…"

Hope's head hit the table with a light 'thunk.' "Lightning, are you _serious_? What are you going to do if you can't find a place in time? Live on the streets or something? You wouldn't be able to live out of a hotel, or even a cheap _motel_!" After a few moments of silence between the two, Hope lifted his head from the table and looked at Lightning with a somewhat intimidating glint in his eyes.

"….._why_ are you looking at me like that?"

"Okay, Lightning. I'm helping you out with this whether you like it or not."

"_No_, Hope. I _told_ you I don't—"

"Shut up for a minute, and let me talk!" Brave, Hope. Brave. "I'll help you with finding an apartment. I'll take care of the payments until you get everything in order. And if you're still one hundred percent set on getting out of there as soon as possible, you can stay at my place until everything is settled."

"Thank you for the offer, but I refuse to impose on you like that. I'm not about to disrupt your daily life just because I won't have anywhere to live."

"Do you have _any_ idea what you just said? Light, I have a three bedroom apartment in one of the nicest complexes in Bodhum. There's plenty of room. Hell, what's supposed to be the guest bedroom has been empty since I moved there." He supposed that was his way of telling her that he wasn't exactly…_poor_, for lack of a better word. "And like I said, you could leave whenever you wanted, assuming that you had somewhere else to go. At least…at least think about it, Light…"

"….fine. I'll think about it, okay?" She could practically _hear_ his triumphant smile of almost-victory.  
>_<p>

Lightning growled in utter frustration as she hurled the plush dark red colored pillow from her bed to her wall. Nothing. Absolutely _nothing. _A week had passed, and she'd gotten no closer to a new job _or_ a place to live. She and Hope had been looking all week…and now? Now Lightning was due to pick up her sister and her new brother-in-law from the airport in exactly thirty-eight hours, twenty-two minutes, and three seconds. Sadly, she was running out of options. She slammed her fist into the wall of her bedroom, wishing that it would solve all of her problems. It didn't.

She raised her fist for another punch, but was thrown off by the sound of the doorbell ringing. _Right on time_, she thought. Hope had been coming over to her house every day to help her in her search, just like he promised. She appreciated his help, and quite honestly, she didn't mind the company.

Light practically sprinted to the door, and swung it open. She offered her guest a light smile and a small wave. "Hey."

He smiled back, and offered her a white paper bag with a big, yellow 'W' on it. "Thought you might be hungry."

She gladly took the bag from him, and ushered him into the vast house. "You want something to drink?" She knew he'd say yes; it had become their routine after only a week. Hope would have cinnamon-vanilla coffee, while Light had her simple, lightly sweetened peach tea. It only took as much as a suggestion from Hope that she buy 'better' coffee; coffee that suited tasted clearly more refined than Snow's. She didn't know why she did it. She just _did_. She didn't even _drink_ coffee, and on the whim of a single suggestion from this green-eyed beauty, she immediately went out and spent three times as much on so little of the stuff.

Lightning placed the freshly brewed coffee in front of Hope, and immediately tore into the white paper bag. …..he was just too much. He might have even seemed psychic. Either that, or he did what few men _ever_ did. He _listened_. He figured out what her tastes for food were in such little time. He didn't outright ignore her when she spoke. And reversely, she listened to _him_. Over the course of the week, she felt like he actually _knew_ her. At first when she met him, she was appalled, annoyed, and _pissed_ that he wouldn't leave her alone. He acted as if he never caught the air of apathy about her. But now…now, she was enthralled by him as much as she was to him. She actually _cared_ when he spoke, and no longer disregarded him like she usually did to everyone else. Now, it _bothered_ her when he wasn't there, when he would leave and not be back until the next day.

She had spent many nights desperately trying to figure this _one thing_ out. It almost drove her insane. No one had _ever_ held such a great impact on her life like this, or even at all. She had continuously been wracking her brain, and always, _always_ came up with a blank. God, where was Serah when you needed her? She'd be able to figure this out. Serah had always been more of the philosophical of the two, while Lightning was the more…practical one. She didn't really care to put too much thought into her tasks. When she did something, she thought of a quick, efficient plan, and just did it. There were no thoughts or emotions about it.

When Hope was around, she always felt a sort of warmth envelop her. It was a strange feeling… She felt a warm fluttering whenever he looked at her with those gorgeous eyes and that beautiful smile… She wouldn't admit it, but she _loved_ those eyes and that smile… That smile of his seemed to wash away all of her problems…

However…a beautiful smile and gorgeous eyes would _not_ find her a place to live and a new job. She sighed, and glared down at her untouched and now cold tea. She felt Hope's steady gaze on her. She knew he could read every one of her thoughts. She could practically hear him telling her that she didn't have to do this, and that she could stay with him, free of cost or worry. It seemed as if he had been telling her that _every_ day, now… Though no matter, he knew that there was no changing her mind. But, he would convince her to stay with him. At least…at least until she found her own place. He didn't want her to stress over this.

"Hey Light?"

After a few moments, Lightning realized that she was indeed being spoken to. "Yeah, what is it?" She hadn't meant for it to sound aggravated, but it just seemed to force itself out as such.

"Just come stay at my place for a while. Right now, you don't have anywhere else to go. All of your things are packed and ready to go, so come on. I _know_ you're not going to stay at a hotel or anything…"

Damnit. He was right. She'd been trying to convince herself that he was wrong, that she _would_ have found a place by now. But unfortunately, she knew that life didn't quite work that way. She _knew_ that there was no realistically possible way that it things would turn out perfectly in just one week. "Hope…I…" Light sighed in heavy frustration. She didn't want to do it. Every cell in her body repulsed at the thought of depending on someone. But… "….fine. You win. I'll stay at your place for a while."

Upon hearing this, Hope's face broke into a smile. "I'm glad you finally came around. We'll start moving your stuff over as soon as possible."

"Now wait just a minute, Hope. I'll be paying for my food, my share of the rent, and my share of the utilities. I'm not going to live there without contributing _something_… I can easily clean up after myself, but I'm afraid I can't help with the…okay, yeah. I can't help make the meals, so don't even ask, okay? And I know it's your place and all, but I gotta set some ground rules. Fair enough?"

Hope only chuckled at her in response. "I won't accept even as much as five gil from you. Now, what are your rules? Hopefully they're doable?"

She sighed. There was no way to pay him back, was there? "…this isn't over. Anyway, to the rules. If you want in my room, you're gonna have to knock. And don't just bust into the bathroom, either. If you wake me up, you'll most likely die. I'm not exactly kind when I'm not awake."

Truthfully, he wasn't afraid of her threats, and found all of her requests rather sensible. He would have followed those rules regardless if she had brought them up or not. "Alright, seems reasonable."

He gave her that smile again… He would definitely have to stop doing that. "Okay…" She wasn't quite sure what to do or say next. She'd just made an important decision, and she couldn't think of what to say. Should she get something for him to show her appreciation? No… Hope didn't seem like the 'gift' kind of guy… "…hey Hope? Thank you.."

His bright green eyes smiled back at her. Even _that_ smile warmed her heart. "It's no problem. Well… shall we get started?"

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><p>Well, there you go! Thank you, everyone, for your reviews and such! The next chapter will be out soon!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Hello! Looks like I finally got the third chapter of Ivory Hearts out~! The disclaimer's the same; I still don't own any of the Final Fantasy franchise.

Enjoy~!

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><p>Lightning stared at the unfamiliar ceiling that rested above her. She had somehow ended up on the couch at some point in the night, and she was slowly waking to the soft scent of cinnamon-vanilla coffee. She sat up, stretching her arms above her head. This thing was a hell of a lot comfier than any other bed she'd <em>ever<em> slept on… She peered into the kitchen to find Hope making a simple breakfast of two slices of toast, and an apple. How healthy. He appeared as if he was dressed for the perfect Sunday. ….Sunday. Right. Today was the day that Snow and Serah would come back from their two-week long honeymoon. She sighed. Surely Serah wouldn't approve of this.

She watched Hope balance his plate of food and coffee in one hand as he pushed aside several books and newspapers from the opposite side of the couch. She never took her eyes off of him as he fell back into the plush, unbearably soft cushions. He picked up a slice of toast, and took teeny, tiny bites from one of the corners. Hope smiled at her and offered her the morning's latest news print, along with his second piece of toast. "You need to at least eat something, right?"

She shook her head, denying both. "No, that's alright. I need to get ready anyway…"

"Oh. Right. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" …perhaps Lightning answered a bit too quickly. "Ah, no, that's alright… It'll be pretty crowded there, a-and…" She was running out of excuses.

"Right, right, you have to give them the house, and I hope, tell them your current situation?"

"Yeah, maybe. I'll at least tell them _some_thing."

Hope sighed at her retreating form. Was he going to have to tell Serah himself? He hoped that Light would be able to tell her own sister… He tossed the newspaper aside, and headed down the hallway to her room. He tapped on the door once to alert her of his presence. "Y'know, Light…it's not as bad as you think. After all, it's just until you get back on your feet." He was almost telling that to himself more than anything. "And if you tell her now, you won't have to worry about making up any dumb excuses or anything like that. She'll know where you are, and she'll know that you're safe."

Light opened the door, and stared into the taller man's eyes. She wanted to say something, _any_thing that would convince Hope otherwise. Like how Serah didn't _need_ to know and that it wasn't her concern…but every time the blue eyed woman opened her mouth, not a single word could be brought forth. She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gently pushed him aside. "I gotta go catch the bus or a cab or something…I'll be back soon, alright?"

He placed a firm hold on her hand before it could reach out to the delicately designed doorknob. "If I can't come with you, at least take my car."

She sighed once more. She just couldn't win with him, could she? "Fine…"

Lightning watched her sister and now brother-in-law push their way towards her with a hint of nerves coursing through her veins. Why should she be nervous? It wasn't unusual for someone to give a newlywed couple a wedding gift, right? …But then again, most people didn't give a married couple a house, free of charge. She saw Serah's eyes light up when they landed on her. She looked to be a little…burnt. Too bad Snow couldn't comfort her by matching. Serah was, unfortunately, like Lightning. The two sisters burnt _easily_ in the presence of the sun.

She half-embraced the near-bone crushing hug she received from Snow few moments later. "So, how was it?"

Serah absolutely beamed, and Snow chuckled. "Perfect! We brought stuff back for you!"

"You didn't have to do that, you know…Anyway, let's get your luggage.." Light started to head off into the direction of the baggage claim, but was stopped by Serah.

"Really, Light…thank you…"

She smiled down at her sister; it almost matched one of Hope's heart-warming smiles… "Don't worry about it. "She tugged her sister along through the crowd, the uneasy feeling never leaving her mind. She could feel the envelope with the deed shifting with every step as it lay in her jacket pocket. When should she do it? Should she wait until they got back? No, she should leave the couple to get some post-honeymoon rest. What would Serah _think_ about her living with some guy she hardly knows, though? …no, not _hardly_. She'd have to tell her _some_thing…

Lightning was quickly removed from her thoughts when Snow pulled her aside, away from the dangers of a mother chasing down her child. Had she really been that far gone? She should be more careful next time.. "Huh?" Light heard someone talking, probably Serah, but she couldn't tell what she was saying. Perhaps an automatic response was in order. "Yeah, I'm fine. Listen…" She fished around for the envelope; she was almost stalling for time… Once she found it, she placed it in her sister's hands. "Here. The house is yours now."

Judging by the looks on Serah and Snow's faces, she didn't word that quite right. "Uh…okay. Now that you two are married, you should have your own space. You don't need me butting in on your newlywed life."

"Wait, sis, you're not kicking yourself out, are you? I mean—"

"Claire, what are you _thinking_? You can't just _move out_!"

"It's your wedding gift from me."

"No. I won't allow it. You paid for both our wedding _and_ our honeymoon! I won't accept any more." Serah had a fierce determination in her eyes. She would _not_ allow it.

"Forget it, Serah. The deed's already in your name, and besides… I've already moved out."

"Moved out? You _moved_? Where? Are you by yourself? Is it far? …forget it, you're moving back!"

"Wait, Serah…maybe we should just let this one go." It seemed like Lightning and Snow were in agreement. "If she wants to move out, then it's her decision. Besides…having our own place would be nice, wouldn't it?

Serah couldn't believe what she was hearing. This was _not_ what she meant when she wanted the two to agree. "No, Snow. She's moving back. I don't care whose name the house is in. She won't move out."

"Serah…she's twenty-two. She can do whatever she wants."

Lightning almost smiled at Snow, and headed for the car with Serah's luggage in tow. "Are you two coming or not?"

The youngest of the three could only glare at her sister and husband's retreating forms. "This isn't over, Claire. You _can't_ do this!"

Snow fell back to his wife, and attempted to calm her down. He tried everything; words didn't help, nor did airport trinkets and food. He was slightly afraid. He'd never seen Serah this angry and upset. By the time they had reached the parking garage, he had given up.

When the trio reached the car, Lightning had tried to ignore both the lack of previous conversation and the confused stares she was receiving. Oh yes, they had easily recognized the dark blue vehicle.

"…Light? Wh…why do you have Hope's car?" Neither Serah nor Snow could possibly begin to formulate and likely answers.

"Lightning pondered over her possible answers. She could just tell them. …nah, that'd take too long. "Because I don't have my own."

…

"No shit, sis. What, did you hot-wire it or somethin'?"

"No, he didn't want us to pay for a cab." She thought it sounded simple enough.

"Snow, honey…let me handle this." Serah could handle this. She was rather intrigued by strange mysteries. "Light, do you even _know_ Hope?"

"How else would he have given me his car?"

_Hope's nice, but he wouldn't just hand his car off to someone he didn't know… _"Okay…_how_ do you know him?"

"I met him. Can we go now?" Light had already loaded the luggage-and Snow- into the car. She just wanted to go _home._ Or…back to the apartment, at least. It wasn't 'home' yet.

"No, Lightning. I'd like things to be a bit more explained before we leave." Honestly, she was tired, too. Tired and jet-lagged with the scent of an airplane interior covering her. But this was _not_ what she was expecting when she and Snow returned. Apparently when they were gone, Light and Hope had met. And Hope trusted her enough to lend her his car…? Clearly they were more than just acquaintances…

…wait.

Did Lightning make a friend in her absence? Or maybe…no, they wouldn't be dating yet. But this was fantastic! A smile broke out on the younger Farron's face, and she clapped her hands together. "Okay! You can explain when the time comes. Let's go~"

Light didn't like the look on her sister's face one bit. It was that horrible, sneaky look that she wore whenever she saw a plan shifting into motion. She was also far too happy, especially after how she had been feeling on the matter only moments earlier. Something was most definitely plotted in Serah's mind. And what could Lightning do to stop it? She didn't even know what was going through her sister's mind right now. It had something to do with the move, she was sure of it. But what concerned her most was that Serah just _stopped_ asking questions about where she had moved to. She didn't think that her sister had stopped caring about the matter, no, not at all. But usually Serah would have continued trying to pound the answer out of her older sister, rather than ignore the matter almost entirely.

Sighing, Lightning climbed into the car after her sister had settled with that…_look_ on her face. She glanced at Snow in the rearview mirror, and he shook his head. Obviously he didn't have a clue, either. It was like that the entire ride back to the Villiers' residence; Serah would drift off for a few minutes, then come back full of smiles and giggles. Whatever this plan was, it was clearly making her happy.

When they had come to a stop in the smoothly paved driveway of the house, Lightning flat-out refused to get out of the car. If she left the comfort of Hope's car, then she would be trapped in the house for hours; maybe even _days_, depending on how determined Serah was. Though eventually, the younger Farron gave up in her attempt, and poked her head into the driver's side window.

"If you won't come in and stay for a while, I guess you can leave…on one condition." Of course; there was always a condition. "You have to tell me where you're living now."

Another sigh seemed to escape her lips. She supposed it was fair enough. She deserved to know since she was the only family member left. "Fine…I'm staying in the Phoenix High-rise Apartment complex. Though I'll probably be finding somewhere else soon, so…"

"Phoenix High-rise? That place is so expensive! How can you possibly afford it?"

"I've got everything figured out, okay?" Lie. Complete lie.

"Will you at least tell me what room? That way we can come visit you!"

"Ahh, no, I'll come visit you. You'd be going out of your way if you did."

Serah huffed, but agreed regardless. She _would_ find out what was going on. It would just have to wait, she supposed. "Oh, fine…I guess I'll let you go now. I think Snow forgot the house key…"

With a final wave to her younger sister, Lightning was finally able to drive back to the comfort of her temporary home. However, as soon as she had passed through the door, she was assaulted with a barrage of delicious aromas. She wasn't sure what it was, but she knew she liked it. Light was easily drawn into the kitchen which she had assumed to be the source, but she found not a single trace of food, nor the one who made it. She spied a dim light coming from the dining room that was paired with a soft melody that drifted through the speakers or the stereo in the corner. She could only seem to watch in awe as the silver-haired boy gracefully moved about the room placing various items on the table in an orderly fashion. She supposed that something as simple as setting the table couldn't possibly be romantic or graceful in any way, but Hope's grace and wonder-along with the beautifully light humming to the gorgeous music- sent butterfly-like chills from her ears and eyes straight to her heart.

He was gorgeous, she had to admit. The way his hair just barely brushed the tops of his eyes… Those long, but clearly strong arms moved fluidly… Surely they would be able to hold someone in a perfect embrace… And the way his lanky body moved throughout the room was entrancing… She wasn't sure why, but she couldn't seem to tear her eyes away from him. She was mesmerized by the way the dim lighting brightened his emerald green eyes. Those eyes… those beautifully unique eyes. Lightning had never seen eyes such as breathtaking as his. She released a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding, thus breaking the beautiful play in front of her.

Hope had been wrenched from his thoughts and jumped, sending a single empty wine glass crashing to the floor. When did she get home? How long had she been standing there? He immediately raced over to the stereo to stop the melodic sounds, and placed a hand on his face to hide the dark red color that warmed his cheeks. _Great going, Hope. _"H-how was the trip there? Was the airport crowded..?" _Real smooth…_

Luckily for Hope, Lightning had ignored his embarrassed questions and immediately began cleaning up the broken glass. "Hope, are you alright?" She was far more concerned with the possibility of him being injured than the almost mortified air that surrounded him. "Did you hear me?" For almost a second, she turned her glance to the right, to where she _thought_ Hope was. "Hope? Where did—"

Her question was cut short as a hand brushed against her knee, which was hovering a little too close to the small pile of broken glass. The soft gesture had caught her off-guard; she jumped and fell backward, smacking her head on the side of the dining room chair. "_Shit_.." She carefully brought a hand to her head, feeling the bump that was slowly making itself present.

"Oh, god, are you alright, Lightning..?" He leaned toward her, only to be pushed back with quick reflexes. "Li—"

"No. Clean this mess up first."

He nodded in agreement, and quickly resumed cleaning up the dangerous mess. "I'm sorry, Light..I didn't mean to scare you..I…I made dinner, since I figured you'd be pretty exhausted from the trip…" It wasn't a long trip, no, but it meant dealing with a loud Snow and a curious Serah.

"It's alright, Hope…it was an accident. And…thank you. When you said you could cook, I didn't think it would be this well… It looks amazing, really!" Lightning was almost excited that she would get to eat a home-cooked meal rather than something instant, or take-out.

She was slowly beginning to realize that maybe, just maybe this wasn't such a bad idea.


	4. Chapter 4

-.- so much stuff going on...but I'm still writing!

The disclaimer hasn't changed a bit.

* * *

><p>It only took Lightning a few weeks to adjust to the early morning ritual that was Hope. Just as they had at her house, Hope would slowly drink down his cinnamon-vanilla coffee, while she indulged in freshly brewed peach tea-that he bought just for her-and half a bagel. They would then get ready for work, and depart as one. Coincidentally enough, Hope's place of work was located exactly two and a half blocks away from Lightning's mundane job.<p>

It was frustrating. She had been applying to jobs all over Bodhum for a month now, and she still had that boring, aggravating job of hers. It was almost a daily routine, the job hunting. They would arrive home from work; Hope would immediately start on dinner, while Lightning would rush into the shower to rid herself of the day's complaints. Afterword, she would sit down with Hope's laptop and fill out application after application while Hope-without even being asked-would search through newspapers and address books, looking for places that she had not yet applied. The silver-haired man had even gone as far as to pull as many strings as he could to use his high place in the job industry to find her work, but to no avail.

Then one day, it happened. It was a Saturday evening, this particular day marking her first full month living with Hope. Her phone burst to life with an attention-grabbing melody, signifying that she had a call. She picked up her phone and frowned to recognize the number. Regardless, she hit the green 'talk' button, and held it up to her ear. "…hello?

"This is Lightning Farron, correct?"

That voice… She vaguely recalled it to be the voice of Mr. Cid Raines, Hope's boss. She had met him once or twice, and had deduced that he was nothing special. "Yes, it is. How did you get my number?"

"Oh, right. Let me get to the point…" Straight to the point, she supposed. "I heard Hope mention that you were looking for a job… It's still a secretarial job, though it pays far more than your current job…"

"…for who and how much?"

"You see, Miss Farron, I recently had to let my secretary go… The job is a bit more polished than the distributor you work for now… This company of mine is tough, and I need a secretary that can keep up with it all. I do hope that you will come by for an interview after your shift on Monday…"

And with that, the conversation ended, and she tossed her phone into the chair next to her. She glanced up at Hope, who had a cute, curious look on his face, "Hope…"

"Yeah? Who was it? Was it good news?"

"…your boss just offered me a job."

As if on cue, a dark red graced his facial features. "…yeah? I…I may have…possibly…tossed your resume his way…" He scratched the back of his head, thus increasing the cute, boyish charm the grown man still held.

"…Hope…y…you didn't have to..t-thank you.." A light pink tinged her own cheeks. She wasn't used to thanking someone so much. "You've done so much for me… There's gotta be some way to repay you…"

Hope let a brief chuckle escape his lips. "You don't need to repay me, Light, I'm just helping a friend in need."

Friend…? Yeah, a friend, she supposed. Though…there was something else that better suited them, some more appropriate word that would have better suited their relationship…

She would dwell on that later, though. And now, she would have to find a way to repay Hope. He'd shared his home and help, and now he had found her a well-paying job! She knew that there was no dollar amount that matched his kindness. No, money wouldn't suffice. Something that was helpful… Lightning already did her part of the housework and even Hope's part most of the time. But that wasn't enough. Something that—

"Light? That adorable puppy dog-curious look was back on his face. "Is that your real name?" He had assumed not, but you never know for sure unless you ask.

She shook her head. No, of course not. Who names their kid "Lightning?" …but then again, who names their kid "Snow?"

"Alright…then you can repay me by telling me your real name."

"What? Hope, it's just a word. One word won't do."

"No, it's a name, and I'm sure it's beautiful. That's all I'll accept from you."

"…you can't be serious. You let me invade your home and privacy, then got me a job, and all you want is my name?"

"Yup."

"There's _got_ to be some…catch."

"Nope, no catch."

_God, I'm drowning in his kindness…_ It was weird, though. She was essentially being doted on. She wasn't used to it… "I'll repay you in some other way. Something other than my dumb old name."

He gave her an almost cheeky smile. "Try though you may, you won't win."  
>_<p>

It was Monday. She was ready. She was nervous. And she didn't think too highly of her future boss. The interview was far from formal, as he had immediately stated that she had the job upon meeting. Something about the meeting being a formality? Funny, since every topic he switched to had less and less to do with the job and all that it entailed…

It was then that Mr. Cid Raines suggested that they further discuss it over dinner at one of the nicest restaurants in Bodhum. She hadn't liked the vibe coming from this man, and she was right. Before she could suggest-or maybe threaten?-to bring Hope with them, Raines threw a two-syllable word that clearly showed his intentions.

"_Alone._"

Of course, he had anticipated that she would try to bring Hope. Maybe to celebrate? Or perhaps if he was there, no advances would be made.

She quickly dismissed the crude retort forming in her throat, and settled on lying. "I'm sorry, _sir_, but I am having dinner with my sister and her husband tonight." Okay, it was a half-lie. Serah _had_ invited her to dinner, but Light kindly declined her offer. She said that she had other plans; those plans being to keep the night normal and quiet at home. Serah had sighed in defeat, but swore that she would treat Lightning to lunch before the two headed off to the bi-monthly book club meeting.

Lightning had slightly scowled at her future boss, and quickly excused herself from the interview and into the comfortable presence of Hope. She could tell he was eager to hear about it.

"Well, how did it go?"

She nodded, and paused for half a second. "He said I got the job." _Then he asked me out. _But she would never tell Hope that. He would probably get jealous. Besides, she would be working for this man now. She'd just have to deal with his advances…in a way that _wouldn't_ get her fired.

Hope's smile was huge-and a little intoxicating-as he dove forward to capture her in a hug of equal caliber. And then all of a sudden, he was pulling her towards the car and was whisking her off to a rather expensive restaurant. He claimed that the dinner was to congratulate her.

Light was slightly glad that she had dressed up for the interview. The restaurant had such a sophisticated atmosphere, and it certainly wasn't what she was used to. She had told Hope that he didn't have to do this, that she would be fine with a regular dinner at home, but he had been adamant in this decision. She had to admit, though; the atmosphere was rather sophisticated, but it was perfect for occasions such as this. Two glasses of a deep red wine were placed in front of them, and Hope immediately lifted his glass to a toast.

Dinner had continued on for a few hours, as they could only focus on eating for so long. Lightning honestly couldn't remember when she'd had this much fun. She'd quickly noticed that Hope had replaced the awkward tension in the restaurant by simply being himself. It never seemed to matter what the silver-haired man did; he always managed to make her smile.

There was a comfortable silence in the car on the drive back home, and Lightning had thought back on the exciting evening as two plastic containers of leftovers warmed her lap. Sure, Hope had suggested the option of music, but the pinkette had politely declined; she would rather listen to the steady sound of Hope's even breaths anyway. Like a true gentleman, Hope opened the passenger door and helped the beautiful woman out of the exquisite car upon arrival of the Phoenix High-rise Complex. He'd held open every single door for her on their way up the building. This wasn't an odd occurrence; Hope always had shown this sort of kindness to her. But it felt so much different this time. There was just something in his kind acts tonight that sent a warm, fluttery feeling to her heart. It was like she was starting to look at him differently, but she had way of knowing why or how.

When they had reached the door to their luxurious penthouse, Hope had stopped her from proceeding forward. When she had given him a questioning glance, he had just smiled and gently grasped her right hand. He raised the dainty, but slightly calloused hand to his smooth, sumptuous lips, and placed a delicate kiss on her ivory skin.

She wasn't sure how long his soft lips had remained on her hand, but she was a little more than disappointed when he set the appendage back at her side. Light quickly ducked her head to avoid the gorgeous gentleman from seeing her now reddened face, though she had known she had failed when she heard a melodic chuckle come from above her. She would have hit him if she weren't so flustered.  
>_<p>

Thursday had come once again for the two occupants of the level seven High-rise penthouse. It was once again time for the book club meeting. Lightning and Hope sat in their respective seats, as Vanille took the place to Hope's left and Fang sat next to the pig-tailed woman. Serah sat next to Lightning, with Snow next to her. Next to Snow sat a rather fashionable Yuj and a scarcely-dressed Lebreau. The boy in between Lebreau and Fang was rather shy, as always, and acted like a love-struck school boy around less-than-modest woman. This was Noel. This young, brown-haired male served as the club's hardcore book nerd, so to say. Along with every new book they chose to read, Noel had more than likely read it at least a couple times. He was also the one-along with Snow-who brought up some of the most interesting points of the book in discussion. And tonight, they were about to tackle an important series in the vast world of books. Tonight they were beginning the quest of hobbits, and one damned important ring.

They would start with The Hobbit. Lightning honestly wasn't too interested in the world of fantasy, but she would read it regardless. The book club _was_ known for their variety, after all. Vanille seemed to be overjoyed, just as Snow was slightly confused as to what 'hobbits' were, and why they were so small. It made sense, though; the large man wasn't really used to extra-small things, except for his wife. She was an exception.

Before they could start on their new journey, however, they had the previous book. It had been a love story. Unfortunately, it had a rather sad end that seemed to make Snow furious.

"I don't get it. If he really loved her, then why would he go through all of the trouble to disprove it?" Snow groaned in frustration as he tried to dissect the man in the story's logic behind his actions.

"Because, ya dumb oaf-" Fang decided to answer for him. "-she was a criminal! The cops were after her ass with a death sentence! 'e wouldn't 'ave been able to be with her for long."

"I think it was romantic how he tried, though!" Vanille always seemed to have this far-off dreamy look to her eyes whenever she talked about romance novels and movies…

"But Vanille, because he eventually helped her, he got arrested in the end." Were Lightning and Fang the only two who saw the sense in this?

Then Hope decided to chip in on the conversation. "Now, ladies, can't we all agree that it was courageous of him to help her, despite knowing the consequences?"

"But she died, and 'e went to jail! How is that courageous?" Fang sighed. She didn't understand the thought process of men.

Snow simply chuckled. "Fang, if Serah was in trouble like that, then I would go more than out of my way to ensure her safety, no matter what happened to me."

Serah swooned; she truly loved her husband. "Oh, Snow~ But I wouldn't want to getting hurt… Oh!" The younger pinkette smiled, and hopped up to lace her arms around Snow's shoulders. "We have news! Big news!"

Almost everyone was leaning in to hear the supposedly 'big' news.

"In exactly eight months and three days, I will be giving birth to a beautiful baby~!" Serah simply could not contain her happiness. "Isn't it exciting? We're having a baby!"

In a flash, Lightning stood just a few feet away from Serah with a disapproving scowl on her face. "You two _just_ got married. You could have _waited_. Damnit, Serah, do you know how much those things cost?"

And in an instant, the happy mood of the room changed. "Jeez, Lightning, ya don't gotta be so 'ard on 'er."

"Serah, you're too young to be having a kid. You're too young to have gotten _married_ for Maker's sake! Did you even _think_—"

Hope shot Lightning a look that seemed to calm her down in an instant. She retreated back to her seat, and gave the silver-haired man an apologetic look.

Snow was speechless.

In all of the time that he'd known the strong, intimidating woman that was Lightning Farron, he had never _ever_ seen _anything_ such as this. Was there really such a force that could stop his sister-in-law's angered rampaging with just one look? Was there any way to…bottle…this force? If he could somehow manage to harness this power… Snow jumped when he heard a little giggling in his ear. It seemed as though Serah knew something about this.

"…so! Shall we get started?"

The rest of the evening went on without much event, save for Snow's obvious confusion. He wasn't one for jewelry, so he just couldn't figure out what was so great about a damned ring. And as Lebreau put it, "It's _not_ important. It doesn't even have diamonds."

Serah stood and stretched with a yawn, proclaiming that it was late and time to head home. Snow had wholeheartedly agreed, stifling back a yawn as well. "See you soon, Sis..c'mon, babe. Let's go home."

As soon as Snow passed through the main doorway, the younger pinkette immediately pulled him back behind her. "Babe, what are you—"

"Shh!"

"Can't we just—"

"Shut up, Snow! We're eavesdropping." She peered into the club room, straining to hear the soft conversation of the two remaining occupants.

Though much to Serah's dismay, Light and Hope seemed to only mull about the room and make idle conversation. Nearly twenty minutes later, however, she saw her sister approach the silver-haired man with soft eyes and a light pink highlighting her features. Her curiosity was piqued when her older sister took Hope's hands in hers, and Serah inched closer to the scene.

"I had a lot on fun on Monday…can we do it again, maybe..?"

Serah nearly shrieked when she was pulled backward and into the parking lot. "Quiet, babe. They're coming. You get into the car. I've got a plan!"

She hesitantly agreed to his orders; when Snow had a plan, it was either a very, _very_ good thing, or an absolutely _horrible_ thing. She decided that she would trust her husband _this_ time, though.

As Lightning and Hope wandered out of the building, Snow dove into action and pulled Hope aside. With a strong arm dragging him away from the intimidating woman, insisting that they needed to have a "man-to-man talk."

"So what's goin' on with you two?" Snow asked as soon as they were out of earshot. "Do you like her?"

Hope's face reddened, and he knew that he was caught. "…yeah. A lot."

"You done anything about it?"

"Well…I took her out on Monday to celebrate her new job…"

"She got a new job?"

_..oh, crap. _"Uh…yeah. But I didn't tell you, okay? I don't know why she wants to keep it a secret.."

"No idea. So you two went on a date?"

"Yeah."

"How'd it go?"

"Well…we're going out again tomorrow night. Does she…do you think she likes me?"

"Serah seems to think it's obvious. I kinda have to agree with her, though. No one's _ever_ seen her open up like this. It's like you're one of those magical elves or something!"

"…Snow, those are…oh, never mind."

The tall blond simply smiled at Hope, and gave him a rough pat on the back. "Lemme know how the date goes." Snow bounded off for his car, where his wife was waiting with curiosity and anticipation.

"Well? What'd you find out? Does he like her? I can tell she likes him!"

"Yeah. They've already gone out once. Goin' out again tomorrow night."

Serah practically squealed. "What time are they leaving? Do you know where they're going? I should help her pick out an outfit! Or maybe we should make it a double-date!"

"…babe…Serah, no. Let's wait until she tells us before we do that."

The younger of the two pouted, but agreed. This was _Light's_ relationship. It would take time.

* * *

><p>Yeah...I'm sorry the last 500 words or so completely sucks... I had originally had it written out all wonderfully and stuff, and it didn't save right, so I had to rewrite it... I know it's not the same as I originally wrote it, and that makes me really sad... -.- With luck, though, I'll magically find it and everything can be better |D<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

TT-TT I'm sooooo horribly sorry for the long update-less span! We had three computers break down at once...It's been like that for the last few months, and unfortunately, my laptop needs new parts, I still don't know what's wrong with my desktop, and the other laptop is just plain toast. And now that I've got more time on my hands, I can at _least_ write it all out in a notebook... I've also been working on It Starts With One, so don't worry, that one's not dead! The next chapter's almost done, so it'll be up soon!

Anyway, this chapter was a LOT of fun to write! Actually, I wrote most of this while either listening to the soundtrack, or while my friend was playing XIII... So much love! 3

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any other the characters or anything like that.

* * *

><p>"Serah, is this really necessary?"<p>

"Of course it is, Light! We have to have the baby shower _perfectly_ planned out!"

"…even though you have seven and a half months left?"

"Right!"

This was how Lightning was to spend her afternoon today. She had set out to do some quick middle-of-the-week shopping, and had run into Serah in the fresh produce section. The two finished their shopping together, and the younger sibling had then deemed it time to head home and plan her baby shower. They now sat on the living room floor of Serah's house surrounded by magazines and notebooks. A long list of food was to Light's left, and a list of appropriate party games was to her right.

"Okay, so the color scheme will be as follows: if it's a boy, dark forest green and pale yellow. If it's a girl, burgundy and pale pink. If we don't know, it'll be neutral pastels. I refuse to subject my child to the standard boy/girl blue and pink. We'll finalize the menu closer to the date, and we'll send the invitations out a week from Tuesday."

"Have you made the guest list?"

"…put that down on our 'to-do' list. Now…there's one more issue…."

"That being..?"

"Can we have it at your place..?"

"…uh…w-why not at your house?"

"Well…Snow and the guys will be building something g in the baby's room, but it's a surprise…I need to stay out of the house, so…I figured, why not have the shower then, and stay the night at your house?"

"…can't he do it another time? That way you could use the house..."

"No…he's being a stubborn brute again… Snow said that can only see this surprise of his after the baby shower's done… Please..? It's just one day, and I'll clean everything up, I promise!"

"…there….there's..not enough room! Yeah! My apartment's much too small for a party."

"Don't you live in the Phoenix High-Rise complex? Those apartments are pretty spacey…"

"…um…w-well, I just got…I have a roommate, so I wouldn't want to bother hi-_her_…"

"…eh? Well, they can come, too! It'll be fun!"

"…here. How about I find an alternative location? Like Lebreau's? Or Fang and Vanille's?"

"Fang and Vanille's…_pet_ will scare everyone off. You know that. And Lebreau lives above her bar. There's nowhere else….a-and we can't afford to rent out a place with everything else…"

"…well…we've got six months to plan, so…we'll figure something out."

* * *

><p>"What's the problem with having it here?" Hope stood at the counter across from Light, carefully chopping up fresh vegetables for their dinner. "I wouldn't mind. Besides, I'm supposed to help Snow that day."<p>

"That's not the point, Hope! …okay, maybe it is, but I can't impose on you!"

Hope set the knife down, and gave the pink-haired woman a stern gaze. "Light, just let your damned pride go for once. I'll let Serah know she can have it here, and everything will be fine."

"It's not that simple, Ho-"

"Lightning. _Let it go_. So what if you live with me? Quite frankly, I've never felt more comfortable in my own apartment before. And I can tell you feel that way, too." Hope opened his mouth to continue, but was stopped by a knock at the door. He cradled her face in his hands and gave her a warm smile. "I trust you can put the salad together while I get the door?"

She gave him a weak glare, but smiled. "Yeah, I think I can handle that. I'll work on the table, too…" Light slipped out of his hold to move to the table, giving Hope the chance to answer the door.

When he swung open the beautifully carved cherry wood door, he was slightly surprised to be looking down at the younger Farron, who was holding a few grocery bags. "…this…isn't right, is it? I asked the doorman which number hers was, but he gave me yours… Do you know which apartment is Light's? She left some groceries at my house…though it's a little odd, cause she can't cook, so why would she buy this stuff..?" As Serah rambled on, her sister crept around Hope to confirm her suspicions.

"…Lightning, talk to your sister. I need to finish dinner." Hope removed himself from the doorway, to reveal the older Farron behind him.

"Light…? What're you-"

"I'll take these…they need to be refrigerated…"

"….Lightning? Why are you at Hope's? Are you-…Light, are you on a _date~?_" Though, as Serah took in her sister's somewhat fashionable sweats and a t-shirt, that theory was quickly vetoed. "I'm…confused, Light. I won't lie."

Her voice was slightly muffled with her head in the fridge, but Serah could still make out those three words. "…you live here? You live here…with…Hope? F...for how long? A-are…are you two..together?"

As soon as the word left Serah's mouth, a loud thunk could be heard from the kitchen, followed by a curse. Light came into the room with Hope's hand attached to an ice pack on her head, and a light shimmer of red on her cheeks. "This isn't necessary, Hope…"

"No, a big bump's gonna form… You'll have a headache soon… I'll go get you some pain killers or something…" Hope left the room, leaving the sisters alone.

"So…you like it here? Is he treating you well? ! Are you two sharing a room? Ahh, this is wonderful!" She hopped up to capture her sister in a tight hug, and skipped over to the door. "I think I'll head home now, Sis~! I'll see you two tomorrow night~!" Serah gave her sister a look the seemed to know a little too much, and rushed through the door.

"Here you go, Light… Where'd your sister go?" Hope pushed a glass of water and a capsule into her hands. "She must have been busy… I was gonna invite her to join us for dinner…"

"Thanks, but I don't think she would have stayed…"

"Why's that?"

"She's sharp. Wants things to progress along. You'll figure it out soon enough, Hope. Hopefully I will, too…"

* * *

><p>"Happy birthday…sorry I haven't stopped by in a while…" Lightning found herself a little off the path of the park, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of her mother's grave. "Everything's so weird right now…I could really use your advice, mom…" She placed a small bouquet of sunburst lilies on the warm, sun-lit stone. "I mean, Serah's married now, and pregnant with her first kid…. It's with that Snow guy Serah told you about… The house belongs to them, now, so it's still in the family… It suits them better, anyway…y'know, big enough for raising a family…<p>

"I'm living in the Felix High-Rise complex with this guy named Hope now…well…he's not just 'some guy,' though. He's a tall, handsome, kind man… I don't know how, but he gets to me like no one else can. It's not in a bad way, though. He kind of levels me out, y'know? Since Snow started taking over my job, I've not really known what to do or how to feel about much…I mean, after you left, I took full responsibility of Serah, but now…now that's Snow's job. He takes care of her and loves her and treats her well, so don't worry. But Hope's seemed to fill whatever it was I lost when Snow took over… I know I like him…a lot, actually, but I'm not quite sure what to do about it… I didn't really have time for the whole 'high-school romance' thing, so it's not like I've got any experience under my belt, but…well, I think Serah's taken notice…and you know how Serah's mind works when it comes to this sort of stuff.

"We've gone on a coupe dates already, and I think he's planning another one soon… I saw a note about dinner reservations sitting on the dryer the other day. I'm actually kind of excited about it, to be honest! I'll need a few new outfits if we keep going to such nice restaurants… I mean, I've got nice business-like outfits for work, but that's…work. Which come to think of it, I think Hope's getting a little annoyed at our boss… Raine's been flirting with me ever since the job interview… I'd punch him, but Hope worked so hard to get me this job. It wouldn't be right or kind of me to just throw that away…"

"Lightning?"

"Huh?" The pinkette glanced in the direction of the melodic voice to find Hope, standing by an almond tree with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in his hands. "What brings you here..?"

"Just came to visit my mom… Do you mind me asking why..?"

Lightning smiled, and shook her head. She hopped up off the ground and gently grabbed onto Hope's hand, pulling him forward. "Hope, I'd like you to meet my mom…and to her left is my dad… I know I didn't really know him that much, but I think he'd like you…I _know_ mom would."

"Yeah? Good. Well, it's certainly a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Farron. I'll take good care of her, I promise." Hope flashed a warm smile at the grave stones, and plucked a white daisy from his bouquet. "I know it's not much, but y'know… Are sunburst lilies her favorite, too?"

"Yeah…wait, too? How'd you figure out what my favorite flower is?"

"Serah told me. She thought I'd try to get you red roses, since you think they're—"

"Lovely, but overdone. I mean, they're pretty, yeah, but there's no variation in it and it's just not as romantic to me… They don't seem very personal, either…just generic, I guess."

"Excellent! I…hope you don't have plans this Saturday… I know you're going shopping with the girls on Friday… You _might_ just have to have them pick out a dress or two for you! Don't worry about money, though. I'll buy you whatever you want."

"Hope…you've gotta stop buying me things. I'm running out of ways to pay you back!"

"Lightning…we've already settled this. So…how often do you come here…?"

"Oh…well…I used to come here all the time, but with everything that's been going on… I'd like to visit more often…"

"Let's do that, then. I come here every Wednesday afternoon… If you want, you can come with me. In fact…if you're done, I'd like you to meet someone." Hope pulled the slender woman off the ground, offering her resting parents a smile. He led her past a few rows of stones by the hand, and stopped in front of a beautifully cut grave. "Light…this is Nora, my mother…"

"Oh…yes, I remember her picture… She was beautiful… You look a lot like her… O-oh, but you're more handsome than anything… I love the color of your hair, to be honest…"

"What? No, it makes me look old…"

"No, no! It looks good on you… I don't think any other color would fit you… It goes well with the beautiful brightness of your eyes. And your warm, comforting smile brings everything together… It's like every feature sounds a different note, but all together…altogether, you're like a symphony to the senses…to _my_ senses…"

"….Light..?" Hope placed one hand on her shoulder and one on her hip, turning her to face him. "Lightning…your features can't even compare to mine… Your eyes are such a beautiful color, and the serenity they hold…well, it's no match for mine. When I first met you, they held such anger, such…distaste for the world around you…but now… Now they're so calm, like…like something..or some_one _entered your life, and calmed those rough, blue seas. I wonder…was that me? Did I bring out the true beauty in your eyes? Did I bring a wave of peace to the unhappy and unsettling chaos in your heart..?" The hand on her shoulder slowly moved to cradle her cheek, and he reveled in how soft and delicate the rose-colored flesh was. "Has anyone ever made you smile like this, Light..? When I make you smile, you can see happiness spread from cheek to cheek, all the way into your eyes… When I think about someone _else_ making you smile like that, someone _else_ would be making you so happy, I…"

"Hope…?"

"It's not someone _else's_ job to make you happy. I _know_ no one else could make you feel this way… Ever since Serah first told us about you, ever since she first showed me your picture, I knew that there was something only _I _could do… A-and..just think, Light…if I can make you this happy _now_, if I can make you smile this much, then… I know how I feel. I don't want this to be something temporary, something that will just fizzle out…and I know that you're probably scared, and I want to help you through that…" He pressed his forehead against hers, and smiled at the warmth in her eyes. "I don't think I've ever felt anything quite this strong for anyone else…"

Lightning closed small distance between the two in a kiss, and circled her arms around him. She could feel a tingling sensation burst from her heart, and shivered as it traveled all the way to her fingertips. She could feel him smirk into her lips, and she almost laughed. What were they doing her, confessing their feelings in words and kisses in front of his mother's grave? The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it didn't matter. The more their lips collided in soft, gentle touches, the more she realized that didn't matter where they were, and that it would have made Nora, Hope's mother, happy to see her son so happy.

* * *

><p>Well, there you go! Between school, writing, knitting, playing XIII-2, and restarting XIII, I've become a zombie of sorts. And quite frankly, I'm fine with that. I'm doing what I love~<p> 


End file.
